WASHINGTON David Letterman's "stupid human tricks" and Top 10 lists are being vaulted into the ranks of cultural achievements as the late-night TV comedian receives this year's Kennedy Center Honors with rock band Led Zeppelin and three other artists.

It has been a big year for singles, with digital purchases of things that used to come on vinyl 45s up 11percent and Katy Perry tying Michael Jackson's record for topping Billboard's Hot 100 with the most songs from a single album.

It has been a big year for singles, with digital purchases of things that used to come on vinyl 45s up 11percent and Katy Perry tying Michael Jackson's record for topping Billboard's Hot 100 with the most songs from a single album.

Don Kirshner, a rock promoter and music publisher who helped garner hits for the make-believe groups The Monkees and The Archies and boosted the careers of Billy Joel, Neil Diamond and the Police, has died. He was 76.

It seems as if David Letterman's bandleader, Paul Shaffer, knows everyone. Hundreds of celebrities appear in his memoir, We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives (Doubleday, $26). Shaffer, 59, spoke with USA TODAY and dropped a few more names.

Joaquin Phoenix's interview with David Letterman started off odd and ended in full-blown weirdness, leaving him destined to join Farrah Fawcett on the list of late-night guests memorable for the wrong way.